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The Week in Germany
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Dear TWIG Readers, |
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Thank you for subscribing to The Week in Germany, which brings an eclectic mix of news from Germany straight to your inbox every week. In 2009, the German federal elections and the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall were among the biggest stories of the year. Freedom Without Walls At Germany.info we published an interactive Freedom Without Walls web special and created a related community of more than 3,500 fans on Facebook. Coordinated by the German Information Center USA at the German Embassy in Washington, the Freedom Without Walls program included a series of educational and creative Campus Weeks held at colleges and universities across the United States. Videos and images of winning entries submitted by participating students in separate public speaking and art contests are now available online at: Read all about it in our newsletters Germany has a lot to look forward to in 2010, including special events celebrating the city of Essen as a European cultural capital and the 20th anniversary of German unification on October 3, the Day of German Unity. We invite you to stay tuned via TWIG and by visiting Germany.info, where you can get the latest scoop on Germany, find out about upcoming cultural events, enjoy videos and other interactive features, participate in contests to win great prizes, and check out new fun stuff for kids and teens. Educators may also wish to subscribe to Germany in Class, and German speakers can flex their multilingual muscles with Deutschland Nachrichten. Subscribing is easy To subscribe to The Week in Germany or Germany in Class, go to: http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/en/Newsletter.jsp To subscribe to Deutschland Nachrichten (in German), go to: http://www.germany.info/Vertretung/usa/de/Newsletter.jsp (The next issue of TWIG will appear in January, 2010.) Frohe Weihnachten und einen Guten Rutsch ins Neue Jahr! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! Your Germany.info Webteam, including TWIG Editors Karen Carstens and David Brown |
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In this issue
Top Stories
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Top Stories |
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Christmas in Germany |
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Christmas in Germany is a very traditional, family celebration. Even in today's consumer-oriented and hectic world - or maybe because of it - the Christmas season is still considered a time for togetherness and simple pleasures. |
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Celebrating the New Year |
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Does the “same procedure as every year” accurately describe your annual party? Perhaps you should try adding a little German flair to your New Year’s Eve. Dazzle your guests with as an obscure British comedy sketch, jelly donuts, “fiery” drinks, fortune telling, and fireworks. |
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Anna Seghers - Author and Political Activist |
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Anna Seghers's life is a reflection of political developments in 20th-century Germany, from the German Empire (1871 to 1918) to the Cold War era. After the war, she returned to Europe and lived in East Berlin from the founding of the GDR in 1949 until her death in 1983. To many, Anna Seghers is the most important female German author of the 20th century. |
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Michael Schumacher Returns to F1 with Mercedes |
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Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher is to come out of retirement to race for Mercedes GP next year, the Formula One team confirmed on December 23. |
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Receive a Free 2010 Desk Calendar from the Federal Foreign Office |
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Complete this Germany.info news quiz to receive a handsome and handy 2010 Desk Calendar from the Federal Foreign Office. It's small enough to bring with you but big enough for all your appointments in the new year. |
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Current Affairs |
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Saarbrücker Zeitung Interview with Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle |
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Foreign Minister Westerwelle speaks about Afghanistan and the Copenhagen Climate Conference in an interview with a German newspaper based in the southwestern city of Saarbrücken. |
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Germany Still Paying First World War Reparations |
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Germany is still paying reparations for the First World War. More than 90 years after the signing of the peace treaty of Versailles, Germany still has some 56 million euro ($84 million) outstanding. |
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Foreign Minister Westerwelle Met Human Rights Activist Jestina Mukoko |
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Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle recently met with Jestina Mukoko, director of the Zimbabwean human rights organization Zimbabwe Peace Project, who has been honored with the Weimar Human Rights Award. |
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Business, Technology and the Environment |
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German Supercomputer for Climate Change Simulation Inaugurated |
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Scientists in Hamburg recently unveild the world's most powerful weather supercomputer. The "Blizzard" computer cluster will be used to provide critical data on global warming for international efforts to avoid climate change. |
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German Scientists Implant Chip, Enabling Blind Finn to See |
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German doctors have implanted a special microchip in the retina of a blind Finnish man, enabling him to see, the news magazine "Der Spiegel" reported December 19 on its website. |
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Astronomers Spot Reflection Off Liquid on Moon of Saturn |
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Astronomers in Berlin have spotted a gigantic sea of liquid on Saturn's moon Titan. With an area of as many as 400,000 square kilometers (154,400 square miles), the "Kraken Mare" is larger than the largest sea on earth, the Caspian Sea. |
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Researchers Look at the Impact of the "Loss of Night" |
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The increased use of artificial lighting could have a variety of effects on human health and natural ecosystems. Researchers at Germany's Leibniz Association are exploring the consequences of this "Loss of Night". |
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Student Patents Process to Transform Old Bread into New Energy |
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Christian Alber recently presented the results of his academic research in a rather unconventional place - the Alber Backery in Filderstadt, Germany. |
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Culture and Lifestyle |
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The Nutcracker - A Symbol of Christmas |
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Although nutcrackers in various shapes and sizes have been around for thousands of years, the nutcracker soldier known the world over – and immortalized by Tchaikovsky – is of German origin, as is the story on which the popular ballet is based. |
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Christmas Stories by Germany.info Readers |
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Given that the Christmas tree has a long tradition in Germany, we asked our readers to send in their own personal memories of Christmas trees past in essay form. Read some of these tender, touching and - at times - hilarious recollections right here. |
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Santa's Helpers in Germany Perplexed by Letters from Adults |
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Hundreds of German volunteers who answer children's letters to Santa Claus from around the world are perplexed at letters from adults who also yearn for presents and kindness, organizers said on December 22. |
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Saucy Sausage Curries Favor With Gault Millau Critics |
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The good old German currywurst is poised for fame. A restaurant in the northern city of Hamburg apparently does the dish so well that it even squeezed a tingle out of the hardened taste buds of the Gault Millau critics. |
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Stollen – An Easy Do-It-Yourself Recipe |
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Stollen – the traditional Christmas cake – is one of the main features of Christmas in Germany. Once the Christmas season begins, you can find it everywhere throughout the country. Although they originated in Dresden, these famous cakes are now exported throughout the world. |
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Feurzangenbowle - Getting fired up! |
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Glühwein (spiced mulled wine) is quite popular during the winter months in Germany. But if you are looking to kick things up a notch, you may find this drink a lot more interesting: Feuerzangenbowle (fire tongs punch). |
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The Weckmann - Man of the Holiday Season |
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Formed out of sweet yeast dough, this man goes by many names in Germany— Weckmann, Nikolaus, Stutenkerl, among others—and is a popular treat for either St. Martin’s Day on November 11, or St. Nicholas Day on December 6. |
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About "The Week in Germany" |
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A Publication of Germany.info and the German Information Center, USA |
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The articles referred to in this newsletter may contain links to websites that are maintained by third parties. These links are for readers' reference only, and the German Information Center is not responsible, nor shall it be held liable for, the content, services or products provided on these websites. The opinions and material contained herein do not necessarily represent the views or policies of the German government. © 2009 Germany.info unless otherwise noted. |
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